From taming frizzy hair to covering dark eyes, the beauty lessons Natalie Portman learnt from the French

Hollywood star Natalie Portman might not be the obvious choice for a beauty idol, but she's been ours for years.

She blew us away at the age of 14, with her pale powdered face and striking red cheek dots as Star Wars' Padmé Amidala; again when she shaved her head on-screen in V for Vendetta, once more when she rocked a pink wig as a stripper in Closer, and she left us in envy of her black feather-effect eyes in Black Swan.

When on the red carpet, she's a modern day Audrey Hepburn, staying loyal to classic Hollywood hair and elegant up-dos.

And since marrying French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied and moving to Paris in 2012, she's transitioned into a chic French woman, with incredible skin, minimal make-up and a care-free, down-to-earth style.

Speaking to InStyle, the 33-year-old actress and director - her debut film A Tale of Love and Darkness premiered at Cannes Film Festival last week - shared her best beauty trips and tricks for a busy lifestyle. We pull together the most useful nuggets below...

Portman looking sublime at Cannes last week

On getting luminous skin

"Diet is a big part of it. I'm vegan, and I drink a lot of water. If I have dairy, I break out immediately."

She admits that living so close to all the pastries and cheese Paris is famous for does make a vegan-lifestyle tough. "All the baked goods are made with butter, so I don't have croissants either, which is a challenge."

On how the French inspired her

"There's this innate chic that French women have; they just know how to tie their scarf right, the right length of the pants with the shoes. Makeup is very minimal. And the hair has that slept-in look, like you got a blow-dry three days ago. I'm slowly trying to pick it up."

On taming her naturally curly hair

"I have difficult, curly hair, so I either blow-dry it after my kid (three-year-old son, Aleph) goes to bed, or sleep on it wet. Then it isn't as wild the next day."

She swears by her French hairdresser David Mallett's hair serum (£42.59, david-mallett.com). "David is a hairdresser in Paris whom I love. He makes his own products. I need an easy hair routine, so I alternate this with Moroccanoil."

On growing out her bald cut

"Feeling the rain on my bald head was incredible," said Portman, speaking about the famous head-shaving scene in V for Vendetta. "But the worst was growing it out. Being a girl with short Little Orphan Annie curls was not fun for me."

"A makeup artist told me to focus on the base of the lashes to make them look really dark and full."

On treating dry skin

Speaking about her beauty must-haves, Portman recommends Lucas' Papaw Ointment (£25.99, amazon.co.uk), which is made from pure papaya fruit. "You can use this Australian balm for everything. Just put it anywhere that's dry."

She also swears by organic and sensitive skin brand Pai, particularly their Comfrey & Calendula Calming Body Cream (£22, paiskincare.com). "This organic British brand makes great moisturisers. They're really clean and free of all the bad chemicals—plus, they smell fantastic."

On the one beauty trend she's not behind

Speaking about being a mother to her toddler son, Portman said "Manicures are the first thing to go; it's hard to justify spending an hour a week on that when you've got work, a child, a husband, and friends."